A GROUP of friends are setting up a ‘wig bank’ to help people going through chemotherapy, as two of them battle cancer.

Lisa Roberts, 37, was diagnosed 17 months ago after noticing an indentation in a breast which she assumed had been caused by an ill-fitting bra.

Within days, the mother-of-two, from Oswaldtwistle, was told she had breast cancer and given the devastating news she also had three tumours on her spine and that the cancer was incurable.

Now, her friend Lynda Corben, who led a campaign to raise money for Lisa’s treatment, has also been diagnosed with breast cancer and also lost her hair, due to chemotherapy.

Lynda’s daughter, Lisa McNally, said: “My mum and Lisa are going through this together and both losing their hair. They are supporting each other and we all got talking about wigs, and none of us could believe the cost. Wigs cost hundreds of pounds, and even NHS ones are at least £60.

“We live in a really deprived area and most people around here just wouldn’t be able to afford it.

“My mum says cancer doesn’t care who it picks on. It doesn’t care about your bank balance, or how much you have to spend on a wig, or what it’s going to cost you.”

When Lisa was diagnosed, Lynda organised fundraising for Lisa’s Kick Cancer Campaign, which raised thousands to help pay for treatments.

Months after Lisa’s diagnosis, Lynda’s husband was told he had cancer and had his oes-ophagus removed on the same day Lisa had a mastectomy. The pair ended up in beds next to each other in intensive care.

Lynda and Lisa Roberts are launching a website, www.togeth- erwestand.org, to provide help and information for women facing chemotherapy.

The team will collect wig donations, along with a don-ation of £20 to cover the cost of treating and sending the wigs to their new home.

Any money left over will be donated to Cancer Research UK.

Lisa, who lives in Banbury Avenue, is having chemoth-erapy.

She said working on the website had given her someth-ing to focus on during a tough few months of treatment.

A few weeks ago, Lisa was told she would be able to start treatment with a newly-appr-oved drug which could offer her a ‘precious lifeline’.

Anyone with a wig to donate can email info@togetherwest or call 01254 208065.